It’s winter, it’s cold, and it’s hard to stand out in the park with the children. Ice skating is fun, if the children are old enough, but most of the time, there is indoor playtime during these long, cold, and dark winter months. For folks who don’t have playrooms, or children’s bedrooms large enough to double as play rooms, the living room can easily become the spot where children gather and spread out their toys. Many children prefer to play in the company of others and certainly young children need to be supervised and often want the company that the living room provides. The challenge of keeping the space a calm, inviting, grown-up space some of the time, and a playroom during those other times, plagues people with small apartments.

The solution is to designate a part of the room for play and the rest to grown-up activity. This is not to say toys won’t be strewn about the room at times, but, if there is a designated space that belongs to the toys, it will be easier to put them away and out of sight so that the room can easily and quickly transform itself back into a calm, grown-up space. Easily and quickly are the key words. It is important that children are able to help their parents put toys away. They need to know where the toys go. Eventually, the children will be able to do most of the clean-up themselves.

First, designate a space in the room where the toys (some toys—many will still be in the bedroom—the toys can be changed in and out so that they seem new again) will be kept. It’s best to have some playspace next to the toys. A corner works well. Can you rearrange the furniture to make a place for play? Another place that works well is the space behind furniture (if a room is large, for example and there is easy access from the side, the space behind the couch, if it is ample enough, can be employed, at least for toy storage).

Use furniture that stores the toys behind doors and looks like part of the living room furniture. IKEA makes the Expedit series (above), inexpensive but clean looking cubbies with door, drawer, or bin options. Types of toys can have their own cubby. IKEA also makes the Ivar series, in wood that can be painted or stained. A long, low row of Ivar shelves with doors, painted a complimentary color to the living room walls, will look as if it’s meant to be there and is not simply a place for toys. Or try an Ivar corner unit. Gothic Cabinet Craft also makes bookshelves, with doors, that can be painted. Another solution is to repurpose a piece you already have. Perhaps you own a sideboard that is full of who knows what. Clear it out and put labeled toy bins inside it. Maybe you already have shelves in the living room. Clear the low ones so the children can reach them and put the toys into bins that look like they belong in a grown-up room (grass cloth or linen covered).

The key, in a small space, is to make sure the storage unit is not too deep (no more than 16″). Board games and storage boxes (the Container Store makes a nice, lightweight mesh cube—one cube per type of toy: Lego, Playmobile, stuffed animals, blocks etc.) should be put on the shelves behind the doors. Some shelves can be for books, as well. Label each storage bin so that the children know where the toys go. Or try a more tailored bin—The Container Store’s Tribeca bin or Woven bin on open shelves.

Any large toys that younger children may have (toy strollers, push carts etc.) can go behind a good looking screen in another corner, or can go into a closet at night (make space in one of yours by getting rid of some things!), or behind the couch if that’s all you can muster.

The idea is to maintain a designated play space in the living room (which can be flexible, of course, when serious play is happening), have real furniture, and to use the proper method to store toys. Cleaning up every evening before bedtime is a must! That way everyone shares, everyone is happy, and the grown-ups have their space back—most of the time!

Joanna Delson is the founder of Space Management, a design resource that specializes in redesigning small spaces so that they live bigger. Joanna can be reached at joannadelson@gmail.com